


all i need's a fraction of your happy heart

by mrsenjolras



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1 scene of smut and the rest is fluff lol, Alternate Universe, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Kid Fic, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:19:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsenjolras/pseuds/mrsenjolras
Summary: Harry knows Liam’s still seeing the other guy, and Liam mentions him occasionally when he can’t see Harry because he’s got plans. Harry doesn’t think too much of it, but at the same time, the more time he spends with Liam the more he can feel himself falling for him. It gives him conflicting feelings, since he knows he still has feelings for Nick–being with Liam may have distracted him for a while, but Harry knows that his feelings for Nick are definitely still there. In general, he’s not really sure how to reconcile what he’s feeling.He’s pretty sure you can’t fall in love with two people at once, but it’s happening to him right then, so it must be possible.[Or: Harry is dating a hot single dad, Nick is dating a fit fireman, and the best way to connect three dots is a circle.]





	all i need's a fraction of your happy heart

**Author's Note:**

> wooo here it is!! this fic is based off of [this](http://foliealou.tumblr.com/post/165295760781/imalirrie-an-au-where-kindergarden-teacher) text post by my love lenka, who fully got me on board the stayneshaw raft lol. a big thank you to justine for reading this over and for agreeing to run this fest with me in the first place, i love you so very much. 
> 
> title from the song moscow by autoheart

“Mr. Styles, Mr. Styles!” a voice calls out from behind Harry, and he turns from where he's writing out the spelling lesson on the board.

“What's up, Artie?” Harry asks, crouching down as the boy runs up to him, backpack bumping against the back of his thighs. Harry's been a Year 1 teacher for a couple years now, and he resolutely does not pick favorites, but he can't help but be charmed by five-year-old Arthur Payne with his big brown eyes and bouncing brunette curls. 

“Um, my dad wanted me to tell you that he's not gonna be picking me up today because he's got work,” Artie says, finishing with a big gap-toothed grin, obviously proud of himself for remembering.

“Alright, then,” Harry says. “Have you got someone else coming to get you?”

Artie nods vigorously. “My aunt Roo! She's gonna come and get me ice cream, only I'm not supposed to tell Dad, cos it's a weeknight.”

Harry laughs in response. “Okay, well I won't tell if you won't. Now go put your things away,” he says, and he watches as Artie runs off to his cubby and starts taking off his coat and bag. Harry returns to writing on the board and tries to push down on the feeling of disappointment in his stomach. 

He's only spoken with Artie’s dad a few times during pickup, but even from those short interactions Harry’s caught himself a bit of a crush. It wasn’t very difficult, what with the fact that Mr. Payne is fit as hell and has a smile that looks like sunshine when he sees his son at the end of each school day. Add in Mr. Payne’s bright brown eyes and deep voice, and Harry had been daydreaming about the man during lunch breaks for months now. 

So Harry _is_ a little disappointed when Artie tells him he won’t be seeing Mr. Payne at the end of the school day, but he shrugs it off before the beginning of the first lesson, because if there’s one thing he’s learned from teaching year 1s it’s that they can pick up on his moods from a mile away, and they will exploit those, so he can never show them any sign of weakness. Nick always laughs at him when he says that, says _they’re children, Haz, not MI6 operatives_ , but Nick spends his day in a booth talking to people-- _at_ people, really--and has not a clue what working with five- and six-year-olds is like, so Harry doesn’t pay him much mind. 

That doesn’t stop him from grabbing his phone out of his desk while the kids are at lunch and shooting off a text to Nick with a bunch of sad emojis, because he knows his best mate is just as invested in the saga of the cute single dad as Harry himself is. 

Nick responds with a bunch of equally sad-looking emojis, and several of the prawn emoji, because he knows it’s Harry’s favorite and he’s awesome at making Harry feel better. 

*

Later, after Harry’s finished the school day and sent all his kids home with little event--Artie running off to a woman with a kind smile and a clear family resemblance to Mr. Payne--after he’s stayed to monitor the late pickups, after he’s gone home with a stack of maths quizzes to grade, after he’s heated up leftovers for dinner and nearly fallen asleep on the couch during an episode of _QI_ and after he tucks himself into bed, Harry gets a phone call. 

It startles him awake, and he fights his way out of the tendrils of sleep still clinging to him to grab his phone and make its blaring ring _stop_. 

“Hello?” he grunts out when he picks up. 

“Hey, Haz,” Nick’s voice says on the other end, and that’s not right, because it’s a Thursday night and Nick’s supposed to be on radio in the morning, not calling Harry up at half past two. 

“Nick?” Harry asks, feeling more awake by the minute. “Is everything alright?” 

“Um,” Nick says, and he huffs out a laugh that sounds more shaky than his usual. “Not exactly, no.” There’s voices in the background on the other end of the line, and Nick pulls away for a minute, speaking to someone. Harry only catches snippets of their conversation, mostly Nick thanking whoever the other person is, before Nick comes back on the line. “There’s been a fire in my flat. Not too serious, I’m fine, so are the dogs, but, uh, the firemen want me to spend the night somewhere else. Smoke damage and all.” 

“Of course,” Harry says immediately, relieved that Nick’s okay. “Come over, I’ll put the kettle on.”

“Thanks, Haz,” Nick says, and he sounds immeasurably tired. Harry can only imagine what that was like, the fear and adrenaline Nick must have felt. They ring off and Harry gets out of bed to put the kettle on, leaning against the counter with his arms wrapped around his waist as he waits. He’s _so glad_ Nick is okay, because Nick is his best mate in the world and Harry’s not sure what he would do without him. A small voice tells him there’s another reason he would be upset, something other than just a strong friendship, but Harry doesn’t listen to it. Just like he hasn’t been listening to it since he was 19 and in uni and met Nick at some party, totally starstruck over his favorite DJ. Their friendship means too much to him now to let feelings get in the way, so he doesn’t, and just moves to make the tea when the kettle goes off. 

Nick arrives not long after, looking exhausted and carrying Stinky and Pig in with him. Harry hands him the tea wordlessly, settling him down on the couch and tucking one of his plush throw blankets around Nick’s shoulders before he sits next to him. 

“What happened?” he asked, once Nick’s had a few sips of tea and looks marginally better. 

“Some sort of electrical fire, I’m not sure. Faulty wiring, sommat like that. Smoke alarm woke me up and I managed to call the fire department before anything was seriously damaged, but my kitchen and part of the hallway still got fairly singed.”

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Harry says quietly, snuggling in closer to Nick and looking to where the dogs are curled up together on the floor, already sleeping. 

“Me too,” Nick says, and then he pauses before he continues again, a hint of his normal humor seeping back into his tone. “It wasn’t all bad, you know. There was a wicked fit fireman who came and helped me. Made me feel like a proper damsel in distress.”

Harry snorts. “That’s ‘cause you are one.”

Nick lets out an offended _heeey_ , but it’s a bit half-hearted since he sounds half asleep. Harry takes his mostly empty mug out of his hands, placing it on the coffee table with Harry’s own to clean up at another point, and pulls Nick off the couch. He leads him to his bedroom, climbing in under the covers and watching as Nick strips to his boxers and heads into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Harry has an extra toothbrush in his bathroom for exactly this reason--Nick stays over far too often and the two of them always kip in together since it’s easier and more comfortable than one of them taking the couch. 

Harry’s halfway back asleep when Nick crawls into bed next to him, taking a moment to check his alarm before setting his phone down and plunging the room into full darkness. Harry cuddles into his warmth, wrapping an arm around Nick’s bare stomach. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” he mumbles into Nick’s shoulder, and Nick hums into his hair, hand running gently up and down his spine. It makes Harry shiver, and he feels the way Nick’s mouth curves into a smile against his head. He lifts up a little, until his face is hovering over Nick’s. 

“Stop laughing at me,” he murmurs, and with the gentle illumination from the streetlamp outside his window Harry can see Nick’s eyes fall to his lips. 

“Make me,” Nick says back, and the words are barely out of his mouth before Harry’s kissing him. This is another thing they do when Nick spends the night, most times. It’s also probably why Harry’s never been able to move on from his crush on Nick, but Harry enjoys it too much to give it up. 

Back when Harry was 18 and learning how to drive, going around Holmes Chapel in his mum’s old van, there would be times when he would get out of the car at the grocery store and have no recollection of how he got there, the route so familiar that he didn’t have to think about what turns to take or where the streetlights were. Hooking up with Nick is like that, something so familiar that Harry barely has to think before he’s kissing down Nick’s neck, sucking a bruise into his collarbone. He’s so distracted by his work he only registers that Nick’s hand is moving when it slips below the waistband of his pants and grasps his half-hard cock. 

Harry breaks away from Nick with a moan, returning his mouth to Nick’s and biting at his lips as Nick starts to jerk him off, collecting Harry’s pre-come in his hand and using it to slick the way. Harry’s practically humping into Nick’s hand by the time he gains enough awareness to lift up on one elbow and place his own hand under Nick’s waistband. Nick groans into Harry’s mouth when Harry starts to jerk him to the same rhythm as Nick’s hand on Harry’s dick. 

They work each other like that, perfectly tuned to what the other likes. It doesn’t take long until Harry is gasping against Nick’s mouth, not even really kissing anymore, and he feels the pull of his orgasm start low in his gut. “Fuck,” he gasps out, “like that.”

Nick hums, moving his hand a bit faster and twisting around the head of Harry’s dick, thumb running across his slit. He jerks once, twice more before Harry’s whole body stiffens, choking back a moan as he comes all over Nick’s hand and the inside of his pants. He collapses for a second, breathing deeply, and Nick coos over him, smoothing his free hand over Harry’s back and pressing kisses to his head, before Harry gains back some of his senses and realizes his hand is still loosely wrapped around Nick’s cock, and Nick hasn’t gotten off yet. 

Harry redoubles his efforts, wanting to get Nick off, wanting to make him feel good, and soon enough Nick is making these broken off little noises that Harry knows mean he’s close. Harry keeps going, dropping his head to run his tongue over the spot just below Nick’s ear, knowing he’s sensitive there. Nick lets out a sharp groan and bucks his hips into Harry’s hand, and it only takes a few more strokes for him to groan again, longer, and Harry feels him spill over his hand. Harry drops a soft kiss on Nick’s lips and climbs out of the bed to clean himself up, changing into a fresh pair of pants and grabbing a wet flannel from the bathroom. He returns to the bed, Nick still sprawled across the sheets, and wipes him off and hands him a new pair of pants before climbing back under the covers and cuddling up with Nick much like they had been earlier. 

“Thanks, Haz,” Nick mutters, half asleep. “Love you.” 

“Love you, too,” Harry responds, and pretends he doesn’t mean it in any way more than friendship. 

*

The next morning, Harry’s in his classroom writing up lesson plans before school as Nick’s show plays quietly in the background. He had barely woken when Nick had gotten up that morning only a few short hours after he arrived, but Nick had left him a pot of tea and a thank you note that left Harry with a warm feeling in his stomach. The feeling was still there as he listens to Nick chat with Fiona. 

“Well, Fifi, I had quite the night last night,” Nick says on the radio. 

“Really? What happened?” Fifi responds. 

“There was a bit of a fire in my flat. Nothing big! I just had to spend the night at a friend’s place. But the most important bit is that the fireman who came and rescued me was well fit.”

Harry snorts at the same time Fiona laughs on the radio. “How is _that_ the most important bit? Your flat could’ve burnt down!” she exclaims.

“I’m telling you, Fifi, if you had seen this guy you would have let the place burn down. He is _that_ hot.”

“Well, did you get his number?”

“No, but if anyone listening knows a super fit firefighter who put out a fire in my flat last night, please let me know! Now, let’s have some more music, shall we?” And with that, Nick moves into playing the next song, and Harry picks his phone out of his desk. He only has about ten more minutes before his students start to arrive, but that doesn’t stop him from sending a text to Nick that says _**one of these days your big mouth will get you into trouble**_. 

Just before the song on the radio ends, Harry gets a text back that says _**i thought you liked my big mouth ;)**_. He rolls his eyes and puts his phone away, getting ready for the school day ahead. 

During pick-up, when Harry’s standing outside watching as the kids rush for their parents cars, he feels a tugging on his pant leg. When he looks down, Artie is standing there, grin showing off the gap in his teeth where his front tooth had fallen out. “Mr. Styles,” he says, lisping slightly, “my dad wants to talk to you.”

“Does he?” Harry asks gently, even as his eyes move to where Mr. Payne is standing just a few feet behind his son. 

“Uh-huh,” Artie says enthusiastically, before he turns back to his dad with a big grin, clearly happy for completing a task his dad had set for him. 

“Hey, Artie, gimme a second with your teacher, yeah?” Mr. Payne says with that deep voice that makes Harry go slightly weak in the knees. Artie runs off to talk to some of his friends still waiting for their parents, backpack bouncing as he goes, and Mr. Payne steps a bit closer to Harry. “Listen, I just wanted to apologise, for not sending a note or anything when my sister picked up Artie yesterday. I know that’s the policy, but I got called into work last minute and didn’t have a lot of time--”

“Mr. Payne,” Harry cuts him off, “it’s really fine. Your sister was here on time to take him home, that’s really all that matters.”

“Liam,” Mr. Payne says. “Call me Liam. Mr. Payne is what my son’s friends call me, it’s weird.”

Harry smiles at him, slowly. “Well, Liam,” he says, liking the way the name feels on his tongue. “Like I said, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Liam takes half a step closer, and now he’s the one smiling at Harry. “I mean, I guess I could worry about his teeth rotting out since my sister thinks ‘babysitting’ means feeding him all the sweets he wants.”

Harry laughs a little. “I was informed of the possibility of them getting ice cream, but I was sworn to secrecy and I am _very_ good at keeping my mouth shut.”

“Are you?” Liam muses, and Harry watches as his eyes drop to Harry’s lips and rest there. “What a pity.”

Harry can feel himself blushing, unused to flirting with anyone other than the sweet old lady who rings up his groceries. And Nick, he supposes, but Harry’s so easy for him he’s not even sure it counts as flirtation. “Um,” he stutters, when the silence has gone on just a beat too long. He would have said something else (though he’s not quite sure _what_ ), but they’re interrupted by Artie’s voice calling out and asking if they’re _done yet, it’s taking forever!_

“Duty calls,” Liam says, humor laced in his tone. “I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“You certainly know where to find me,” Harry replies, and watches with a small smile on his face as Liam walks off with Artie, listening as Artie tells him all about his school day. He turns back once as they reach the gate to the school and smiles at Harry, gives him a quick nod, and then he’s off.

Harry goes home with a bit of a pep in his step, glad that he’s still able to successfully flirt with someone his own age, but he deflates a bit when he sees that Nick’s texted him, saying that apparently the fit fireman had heard him on the radio and sent him an email. Harry replies with a simple _**get in**_ but still spends his night curled up on the couch watching whatever rom-com he could find on Netflix, wishing Nick were there to make fun of it with him and then cursing himself for wanting that when Nick so clearly thought of him as a friend-with-sometimes-benefits and nothing more. Why else would he be chasing after the fit fireman, when Harry was _right there_ , ready and willing? He thinks about Nick on the radio that morning, saying he had spent the night at a _friend’s place_ , never mind that he had slept in Harry’s bed, had kissed him and got him off and fell asleep cuddled together like nothing could separate them. 

Harry rolls his eyes at himself and turns off the television. He needs to get a grip. And maybe if Nick’s busy getting with the fit fireman, Harry can see just how far some flirting can get him with Liam. 

*

The next few weeks pass normally for Harry. He goes to work, comes home, drives up to see his mum one weekend for a Sunday roast, that kind of thing. He doesn’t see Nick much; apparently he and the fit fireman had hit it off and have been texting non-stop. Harry thinks they might have met up a few times in person, too, but Nick’s being surprisingly coy about it, something that isn’t much like him. Usually when he starts seeing someone Harry hears all about it, every text they send and every date they go on. Harry thinks it might mean something more, that Nick’s being a bit more private about this guy, might mean something serious. He doesn’t think about that part too much. 

Besides, it’s fine, because Harry’s been hitting it off with Liam, Artie’s dad. They still only really see each other during pick-ups and drop-offs, but there’s some gentle flirting every time, and it’s enough to have Harry feeling giddy, to give him something to look forward to at the end of each day. 

It’s also enough to take his mind off the fact that Nick’s texted saying he’s taking the fit fireman on their first _real_ date this weekend, and if all goes well it seems like Nick will be fulfilling the fireman fantasy that, admittedly, Harry shares. But Harry’s totally fine with that.

Totally.

*

On Monday, Liam shows up to pick-up with a love bite fading on his neck. Harry looks away from it quickly, looking over at where some of the year 3 girls are playing a jump-rope game in the playground. He can see Liam start to walk towards him, but he keeps his eyes trained towards the girls; it’s his job, after all, to look after the students. Even if their parents seem to be standing only a few feet away. It’s important--safety, and all that. 

“Hey, Harry,” Liam says to his left. “Have a good weekend?” 

Harry hadn’t done much that weekend except sit on his couch and marathon episodes of The Great British Bake-Off on Netflix. “Was alright,” he responds. “Yours?”

“Yeah, good,” Liam responds, and when Harry glances over at him he has a slight blush on his cheeks. Probably thinking of whoever gave him that love bite. Figures, Harry thinks bitterly. He would be the one to have feelings for not one but two men who don’t like him back. 

Liam opens his mouth again, and it seems like his blush gets deeper. “Um, listen, I hate to do this, but I’ve got another shift tomorrow night, so my sister will be picking Artie up again, if that’s alright?” 

“Yeah, of course it is,” Harry replies, but Liam’s not done speaking and he has a determined look on his face that Harry’s never seen before. 

“Okay, and, um, I was wondering if maybe, so we could avoid this in the future, I could get your number? Strictly professional, of course. Just, uh, just for picking Artie up.” Liam’s blushing even more now, and Harry’s a bit shocked. He’d thought he’d just lost all chances with Liam, and now Liam’s asking for his number? And going by the nervous look on his face and the blush that’s now making its way down his neck, it’s probably _not_ just for professional reasons. 

Well, then, Harry thinks, perhaps a bit smugly. If Nick can have his fit fireman, then Harry can have his hot single dad. “Yeah, of course, if that makes it easier for you.”

“Great!” Liam says, and a grin breaks out on his face. Harry can’t help but notice that his smile is the same as Artie’s, and it stirs something warm in his stomach. Liam holds out his phone, and Harry puts himself in as _**Harry**_ followed by the emoji face wearing glasses. Liam smiles again when he sees it. “I’ll talk to you soon, yeah?” he says when he looks up, and Harry nods, watching as Liam walks over and lets Artie jump on his back for a piggy back. He smiles at the sight, and then smiles more when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket, taking it out and seeing a message from Liam. He saves the contact, then opens up his text chat with Nick. 

_**guess who just got hot single dad’s number???????** _

_**get in styles!!!!!!**_ pops up less than a minute later, followed by a series of emojis that would probably be incomprehensible to other people, but Harry knows they mean that Nick’s proud of him and he hopes Harry gets to see hot single dad naked in short fashion. 

Harry grins at the message, glad he and Nick are still the same even if he’s felt like things have been sort of off between them lately. It feels like everything’s starting to get back on track, so later that afternoon Harry sends Nick another text asking if he wants to come round to watch X Factor that night.

 _ **can’t mate sorry**_ , Nick responds, and he offers no further explanation when Harry asks, just says he’s busy. It’s a bit strange, since Harry’s never known Nick to turn down the opportunity to watch people sing on telly and also to shit on whatever Simon Cowell’s saying. He’s a bit put out, but then he thinks that maybe Nick’s got some plans with his fit firemantonight, and that’s why he can’t come round to Harry’s. It stings a little, thinking about Nick with his new boy, that he’s leaving Harry behind that easily. A small voice tries to tell him that it’s not like that, and that no matter what Nick is always his best friend, but the larger part of him wants to wallow in self-pity, so that’s what he does. 

*

Despite the fact that Liam had said he’d only given Harry his number for purely professional reasons, the majority of the time their texts are a little less than professional and often veer into flirty territory. It had started that night Nick didn’t come over to watch X Factor--apparently Liam had been watching, and he and Harry had exchanged running commentary for the whole show. That had continued, as had Liam sending Harry adorable little updates on Artie, usually accompanied by photos,and Harry finds himself with a whole album on his phone comprised of pictures of Artie’s gap-toothed smile, of him running around at footie practice, and the occasional--prized a bit more than the others--picture of Liam and Artie together. 

It’s good, Harry thinks, something good for him. Something to get his mind off of Nick for a while, though he still thinks about the other lad most days. They’re talking like normal, but haven’t hung out alone in what seems like ages--the last time Harry had seen Nick had been at a group dinner with all their mates, and Nick had sat at the other end of the table and barely looked at Harry all night. It stung--he wasn’t sure what had changed, what had suddenly made them awkward around each other when before Harry felt like he could tell Nick anything and everything on his mind and Nick would listen. It’s like everything is a beat off with them. 

He doesn’t want whatever the hell is going on with Nick to affect his relationship with Liam, though. The more he talks to Liam the more he likes him: likes his sense of humour, likes that he’s unbelievably earnest in everything he does, and Harry likes the way he feels when he’s around Liam. It’s with those things in mind that he finally bites the bullet and asks Liam to go out for coffee with him, and Liam agrees. 

When Harry gets to the coffee shop for his date with Liam, Liam’s already there, sitting at a table by the window and staring out the glass at the street outside. “Hey,” Harry says softly when he gets close, and Liam looks up, startled. 

“Hi,” he says, once he’s recognized that it’s Harry and not some stranger, and his face breaks into the smile that Harry’s come to secretly adore over the past couple of weeks. “How are you?” 

“I’m good,” Harry says. “Better now. Have you gotten anything yet?” 

“No, was waiting for you,” Liam replies, and he still seems a bit distracted. Harry tells himself it’s probably nerves and offers up another smile to try to calm them. 

“Great. I’ll buy,” Harry says, and he walks off to the counter, leaving Liam to follow behind him. 

“Harry, no, you don’t have to do that,” Liam starts to protest, but Harry cuts him off. 

“I invited you, didn’t I? It’s my treat,” Harry says. “You can cover for next time.” He adds, perhaps a bit boldly, since there’s yet to be confirmation that there _will_ be a next time, but Liam just smiles back at him cheekily and Harry takes that as a good sign. 

They get their drinks and return to their table, conversation flowing easily. They talk about Artie, of course, since he’s probably the biggest thing they have in common, but they also talk about themselves, about their families and where they grew up and how they both ended up in London. Harry finds himself telling Liam lots of stories involving Nick, though he doesn’t use Nick’s name--Nick’s fairly famous status means that Harry’s learned how to tell plenty of stories about his best mate without ever actually saying his name. The date goes well, Harry thinks, except Liam seems distracted at times, staring off into space for a while before he shakes himself back into reality and starts participating in the conversation again.

It happens when Harry's at the end of a story--the one where he and Nick had accidentally crashed a wedding and then ended up pretending to be distant relatives of the groom for the duration of the reception. It's a fairly interesting story, or so he thinks, so when Harry sees Liam's eyes go a bit distant, he trails off. “...and, you're not listening,” he says with a faint grin.

Liam startles, looking caught out for a moment before he lets out a sheepish chuckle and brings a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. “Sorry, sorry. Got distracted for a moment.” He shifts in his seat a bit and looks like he's going to say something more. Harry gears himself up to be let down gently, for Liam to say something about not wanting to get things too complicated for Artie’s sake, and he thinks he's right when Liam starts by saying, “I really like you, Harry,” but he's surprised when Liam continues with, “I just want you to know I'm kind of seeing someone else right now, too. Not anything serious, we're not exclusive, but I just thought I should let you know before this goes any further. Um, if you want it to go further.”

Harry thinks for a moment. He supposes it's not that big of a deal, what with the fact that Harry's still a bit hung up on Nick, so it seems a bit fair that Liam should see whoever he wants. “That's alright, Liam. I like you too, and I’d like to see where this goes.”

Liam breaks into a bright smile, and Harry thinks that at this moment, he wouldn't give up that smile for anything.

*

A couple of days after Harry's date with Liam, Nick emerges from his fit firefighter haze and comes round to Harry's for dinner. It's the first time they're hanging out alone together since the night of the fire in Nick’s flat. Harry's unreasonably nervous, spending the afternoon puttering around and cleaning random parts of his flat, though Nick has seen it at its worst. He feels like he needs to impress Nick for some reason, needs to convince him that nothing's changed between them and they can be normal around each other.

When Nick arrives, he glances around, taking in where Harry has neatened up with a raised eyebrow. “Did you _clean_ for me?” he asks, amused, and Harry can feel his face heat up. 

“No, what are you talking about?” he plays dumb, heading into the kitchen and checking on the lasagna he's making in the oven. Nick follows him, leaning against the counter with a smirk.

“Sorry, my mistake,” he says, and he reaches for the bottle of red wine Harry had put out for them and starting to pour a glass. “How’ve you been, Hazza?”

“Good,” Harry says, standing and taking a sip from his own glass of wine. “Had a date with the hot single dad.”

Nick's hand twitches suddenly, and he ends up splashing red wine over Harry’s counters. “Shit,” he says, placing the bottle back down and reaching for a flannel to wipe it up. “Sorry, sorry.”

“S’alright,” Harry says slowly, watching bemusedly as Nick scrubs down his counter. “Everything good?” 

“Yeah, yeah, hand just slipped a bit,” Nick replies, wringing the rag out in the sink. “Tell me more about this date.”

“It was good, just coffee and that. We’re taking it slow because he’s sort of seeing someone else right now,” Harry says, and the timer goes so he pulls the lasagna out of the oven, leaving it to cool. He gets Nick to bring the salad out to the table, following shortly after with plates and cutlery before finally bringing out the lasagna and setting it in the middle of the table.

The two of them settle down to eat, and Nick gives him endless compliments on the food, making Harry blush and duck his head. “How’s the fit fireman?” he asks, wanting to change the subject and distract from how flustered Nick’s compliments made him.

“All good, I think we’re a bit like you and your man. Leaving things open, taking it slow, and we’ll see in the future if it gets more serious,” Nick says, and Harry feels a small rush of relief at the thought that he might not have totally lost Nick. 

“Huh, what are the chances we both found guys willing to accomodate our fears of commitment,” Harry quips, and Nick laughs, but Harry thinks it sounds a bit halfhearted. He’s not sure, though, thinking that maybe he’s just placing some of his leftover insecurity onto Nick, so he ignores it and they continue dinner with comfortable conversation about their mutual friends. 

Nick stays after, cuddles up with Harry on the couch for a bit of channel surfing, and ends up spending the night. They curl up together in bed that night, but neither of them try for anything further, and Harry feels like he’s miles away from Nick despite being right next to him. 

*

Harry starts seeing Liam frequently. Obviously he sees him most days at the school, but there are also weekend trips to the park with Artie, who hasn’t questioned Harry’s extra presence too much. Then there are the times Harry and Liam meet without Artie, from more coffee dates to dinner dates to the time Liam came to Harry’s flat to watch a movie and they ended up kissing through the majority of the film. There was Liam staying over that night, leaving Harry in the morning with a smile and a quick kiss and his scent clinging to Harry’s sheets. 

Harry feels like he’s in a daze, like he’s floating a few feet above the ground. He understands, now, why Nick had been so distant when he first started seeing the fit fireman--he must have been feeling the same way, so caught up in the first blush of a new relationship that he neglected all of his other friendships. 

Harry knows Liam’s still seeing the other guy, and Liam mentions him occasionally when he can’t see Harry because he’s got plans. Harry doesn’t think too much of it, but at the same time, the more time he spends with Liam the more he can feel himself falling for him. It gives him conflicting feelings, since he knows he still has feelings for Nick--being with Liam may have distracted him for a while, but Harry knows that his feelings for Nick are definitely still there. In general, he’s not really sure how to reconcile what he’s feeling. 

He’s pretty sure you can’t fall in love with two people at once, but it’s happening to him right then, so it must be possible. 

*

Nick decides it’s finally time for Harry to meet the fit fireman, which means it must be getting serious. In all the years Harry’s known Nick, he’s only met two of his boyfriends--both of them got very serious but ended with Nick crying on Harry’s couch a few months later. So Harry’s not so sure he’s ready to meet this guy, especially after Nick’s talked him up so much. He’s not sure he’s emotionally prepared to meet the guy that’s potentially stealing away his best mate (more specifically his best mate who he’s also fairly sure he’s in love with, but that’s neither here nor there). He definitely doesn’t think he’s prepared to see Nick all loved up with someone else, to have their affection shoved in his face, but it is what it is. When Harry had desperately tried to text Liam, to see if he was free and could maybe tag along to make Harry feel like less of a spare part, Liam said he had plans with the other guy he’s seeing, so Harry has to go face the music alone. At least Nick had said the fit fireman was going to bring along his kid, so at the very least Harry could play with them if Nick and the fireman decide to go off and snog somewhere. 

They meet at the park--neutral territory, where Nick can bring the dogs and the fit fireman’s kid can run around. It also happens to be the park where Harry has started to spend Saturday afternoons with Liam and Artie, and he’s thinking about when they were there last week having a kickabout (Harry was horrible, and Liam spent most of the time laughing at him and then kissed him when he started pouting). He’s so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t process someone calling his name until they’re practically next to him. 

“Harry, Harry!” it’s Artie, Harry realises, and the boy is running up to him and soon crashes into his legs with a big hug. 

“Hey, Artie, what are you doing here?” Harry asks. “Where’s your dad?” 

“Right here,” Liam’s voice comes from behind him, and Harry spins around, nearly toppling over since Artie hasn’t released his grip on his legs. 

“Hey, what are you--” Harry starts, but he’s cut off by yet another familiar voice. 

“Hey!” Nick says, and then he walks right up to Liam and plants a kiss on his lips. “Oh great, the two of you have met!” he continues, but Harry is gaping at them like a fish out of water. 

“Wait, you two know each other?” Liam says, and he’s looking back and forth between Nick and Harry confusedly. Nick shoots him a look with furrowed brows, then takes in Harry’s shocked figure as well. 

“Am I missing something?” he says, and he looks like he’s going to continue but Harry finds his voice before Nick can say anything else. 

“Liam’s the hot single dad!” he blurts out, blushing immediately after as he realizes that probably wasn’t the _best_ way to go about it, but he’s still recovering from the shock. 

“What?” Nick says, and now he looks shocked. “Your hot single dad is the same as my fit fireman?” 

Harry’s vaguely aware of Liam standing to the side with a full blush, asking them softly if they _really_ called him those nicknames, but mostly he’s overcome by the absolute absurdity of the situation. So he starts laughing so hard it’s on the verge of hysterical, leaning down and gripping his knees when it gets to be too much for him. Artie is still standing next to him, and he starts to giggle at Harry’s laughter. 

“Alright, Haz?” Nick says from above him, sounding amused, and Harry forces himself back upright, reaching up to wipe away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye. 

“Yeah, it’s just, this is completely ridiculous. I can’t believe we didn’t realise sooner.” And now that he thinks about it, there had been signs all along--Liam not picking Artie up from school the same night Nick had the fire; all the times Nick and Liam had been busy at the same time; even now, meeting at this park because Nick said it was the most convenient to his boyfriend, and it’s the same park Harry had been meeting Liam and Artie in for weeks. “Absolutely ridiculous,” he says again, a bit quieter. 

“Um,” Liam says, taking a small step forward. Both Nick and Harry turn to look at him. “So, I’m starting to figure out you two might be the best mates you keep mentioning in all of your stories. And I just really like you both, and I’m sorry I’ve been leading the both of you on for a while but I just really can’t choose between you. You’re both so sweet and funny and amazing with Artie, and I’m not sure what to do.”

“Maybe,” Harry starts quietly, “maybe we don’t have to choose.” The other two turn to look at him, confused looks on their faces. “I mean, at least for me, there’s, um, feelings for both of you. And, like, I don’t know if that’s totally mutual, but, like, I guess we could maybe, um, try? To do _this_ ,” he gestures a hand between the three of them, “all together. Like, if that’s what you two would want.”

“Christ, Harry, I love you, but do you have to ramble on like that?” Nick says, and Harry’s head snaps up. 

“You--what?” 

Nick’s smiling softly at him, looking perhaps a bit emotional. “I thought you didn’t want anything serious,” he says quietly, taking a step closer to Harry. 

“That’s what I thought about you,” Harry says, huffing a small laugh. “Been right idiots, haven’t we?” 

Nick takes yet another step closer, until he’s right in front of Harry. “Maybe we just stumbled into something better,” he whispers, sending a glance over at Liam before he leans in and kisses Harry. Harry smiles into the kiss, letting himself fall back into the comfort of kissing Nick again for the first time in a while, before they’re interrupted by a small voice. 

“Ew!” Artie says, and Nick and Harry pull away from each other with a laugh. When they look over at Liam, he’s smiling back at them softly, Artie standing next to him looking impatient. “Can I go on the swings now?” 

“Yeah, come on, bud,” Nick says, giving Harry and Liam each a quick kiss before he grabs Artie’s hand and they start off for the swingset, leaving Harry and Liam standing behind. 

Harry waits for them to get a fair distance away, not wanting to be interrupted again, before he steps up to Liam and pulls him into a kiss. “Thank you,” he says, when they pull back, and Liam sends him a confused look. 

“For what?” 

Harry smiles, grabs Liam’s hand and starts pulling him along to where Nick and Artie are playing on the swings. “For everything,” he says, dropping a quick kiss on his cheek before going over to where Nick is hollering at him, asking for a push. 

A while later, Harry stands back and watches as Liam runs around with Artie clinging to his shoulders, Nick chasing them in some sort of tag game. He thinks about how, this morning, meeting Nick and his new boyfriend felt like going to face a firing squad, and how now as he looks at them it feels like he’s facing his future; with Nick and Liam and Artie all together. 

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr [here](http://foliealou.tumblr.com) and reblog the tumblr post for this [here](http://foliealou.tumblr.com/post/170305408226/all-i-needs-a-fraction-of-your-happy-heart-harry)


End file.
